In Episode 53 of Cards and Cubes, we have a recap of SaltCON End of Summer 2021. We go through the 4 days of the convention and a large number of notable games we played. We mention games such as Red Rising, MicroMacro: Crime City, Paleo, Rococo: Deluxe Edition, The Castles of Tuscany, Praga Caput Regni, Myrmes, Robin Hood and the Merry Men, The Scarlet Pimpernel, Hacienda, and Coatl. Finally, we talk about games we didn't get to play that we are looking forward to playing at the convention next year such as Red Outpost, Goa, High Rise, The Mines of Zavandor, Bonfire: Trees & Creatures.

Cards and Cubes

Episode 53: SaltCON End of Summer 2021

In Episode 52, of Cards and Cubes, we are bringing you a recording from our event at SaltCON End of Summer 2021! We have a combined run through our Top 3 Games We Haven't Played from the SaltCON Library and related topics with fellow podcasters from The Innkeeper's Table. Games mentioned include Myrmes, Echidna Shuffle, Uwe Rosenberg's Tile Laying Trilogy (Indian Summer, Cottage Garden, Spring Meadow), Bora Bora, Aquasphere, Hacienda, After The Empire, Paleo, MicroMacro: Crime City, the Unlock series, The Search for Planet X, and the Tiny Epic series.

Episode 52: Top 3 Games We Haven't Played from the SaltCON Library

In Episode 51 of Cards and Cubes, we have a short intro about themes which affect our interest in games. We go on to games played, which this week include Alchemists, Massive Darkness, Horizon Zero Dawn: The Board Game, and Space Gate Odyssey. Our topic this week is "3 Kinds of Games to Play at a Game Convention" inspired by the upcoming SaltCON End of Summer 2021. Games on the Horizon include Alchemists: The King's Golem, On Mars: Alien Invasion, Dune: Imperium - Rise of Ix, Forests of Pangaia, and Overstocked. If you're coming to SaltCON End of Summer 2021, come to our Live Recording on Friday at 8PM in Twilight 4!

Episode 51: 3 Kinds of Games to Play at a Game Convention

In Episode 50 of Cards and Cubes, our games played over the last couple of weeks are Nippon, Unlock!: Mythic Adventures, The Prodigals Club with Last Will, and Cubitos. As prompted by some recent experiences playing on Board Game Arena and its dynamic scoring, our topic today is Hidden Information in Tabletop Games. Our Games on the Horizon this week include Gloomholdin', Fort: Cats & Dogs Expansion, Kyoto, Lost Explorers, Lost Ruins of Arnak: Expedition Leaders, and Excavation Earth.

Episode 50: Hidden Information in Tabletop Games

In Episode 49 of Cards and Cubes, we have a short intro about the Battlestar Galactica board game reimplementation called "Unfathomable." We go into Games Played including CloudAge, The Search for Planet X, Between Two Castles of Mad King Ludwig, Gentes, and Hallertau. Our topic for this episode is Fragility in Tabletop Games.  We discuss games which we consider or call "fragile" or even "broken" in some way as opposed to some which are more "stable" but perhaps with some downsides. Our Games on the Horizon highlights for this week are Lords of Ragnarok, Circadians: Chaos Order, Cubitos, and ADELE.

Episode 49: Fragility in Tabletop Games

In Episode 48 of Cards and Cubes, we have a brief discussion about Terra Mystica and other board game tournaments. Then, the we go through a lengthy list of games from "TrevCON 2021" - a made-up "convention" of us playing games more frequently than usual, mostly at Trevor's house. Games mentioned include Gods Love Dinosaurs, Beyond the Sun, Cryo, Tournay, Genotype: A Mendelian Genetics Game, Praga Caput Regni, Barrage, KLASK 4, New York Zoo, Werewords, CuBirds, Mercado de Lisboa, Azul: Stained Glass of Sintra, Oath: Chronicles of Empire and Exile, Kanban EV, Dune: Imperium, Pulsar 2849, Monster Expedition, Embarcadero, Rush M.D., Illimat, and Exit: The Game + Puzzle - The Sacred Temple. We conclude with our Games on the Horizon section with 300: Earth & Water, Nidavellir: Thingvellir, Rush M.D. Expansions, Shards of Infinity + Expansions, Ginkgopolis: The Experts, and Fall of the Mountain King.

Episode 48: TrevCON 2021

In Episode 47, we begin with a short discussion about game scarcity and out of print issues. We follow with our games played section which includes Chinatown, Genoa, Eschaton, Oriflamme, CuBirds, Codex Naturalis, Jekyll vs. Hyde, and Tybor the Builder. Our combined topic and news item for the day is Tabletop Game Awards, and in particular the recent announcements for the Spiel des Jahres and Golden Geek Awards nominees.  Some games which caught our eye include The Adventures of Robin Hood, MicroMacro: Crime City, Fantasy Realms, Paleo, Beyond the Sun, Forgotten Waters, The Search for Planet X, Super-Skill Pinball: 4-Cade. Games on the Horizon include Conspiracy: Abyss Universe, My Father's Work, Mandala Stones, and The Witcher: Old World.

Episode 47: Tabletop Game Awards

In Episode 46, we start off talking about our section name change from "Top" to "Good" games.  We then discuss playing games with themes which overlap with our professional careers. Games played in this episode include a lengthy discussion about the Maracaibo campaign we recently finished, Sluff Off!, Venice, and Star Wars: Unlock! . We then present our lists of 3 Good Cooperative Games. Games on the Horizon include Nidavellir, Comanauts, Expedition to Newdale, Paris: l'Etoile, Tabannusi: Builders of Ur.

Episode 46: 3 Good Cooperative Game

In Episode 45 of Cards and Cubes, we talk about Anachrony, Exit and Unlock games, Mercado de Lisboa, as well as some area control games we played over a weekend recently including The Expanse: Doors and Corners, A War of Whispers, and Inis. Our topic this week is "Digital Implementations of Tabletop Games" where we discuss different ways in which games can be implemented in digital format or assisted by a digital application, and our preferences and impressions from the ones we've experienced. Games on the Horizon include Oath: Chronicles of Empire and Exile, Equinox, Anno 1800, Florence.

Episode 45: Digital Implementations of Tabletop Games

In Episode 44 of Cards and Cubes, we talk about our continuing trend of playing trick-taking games like The Bottle Imp and Indulgence.  Then we discuss Ginkgopolis and Suburbia. Our topic today is "Teaching Board Games" where we examine our personal early experiences, learnings, recommendations, and differing teaching styles when explaining board games. Games on the Horizon this week are:  Zing! or Sluff Off!, Dealt!, Scout!, Black Angel, Cryo, and Magna Roma.

Episode 44: Teaching Board Games

In this episode, we talk about some games we've played recently, including L.L.A.M.A., Dune: Imperium, Pixie Queen, Bloodborne: The Board Game, and Steampunk Rally Fusion. Our discussion today is what's in a game - in other words, what we feel qualifies as a game, and we go into a recent case which prompted the discussion. Games on the horizon include Caper: Europe, V-Commandos, Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood of Venice, Hippocrates, John Company: Second Edition, and Ginkgopolis.

Epidode 43: What's in a Game

In Episode 42 of Cards and Cubes, we talk about our experience playing the card games Custom Heroes and Trickster: Champions of Time.  Then we go into a discussion about Tyrants of the Underdark, Dice Town, and some comments about our first steps into Etherfields. Our topic today is "Keep or Cull" - a discussion about our decisions and habits involved in acquiring, collecting, and ultimately getting rid of board games. Games on the horizon this week include Tiny Turbo Cards, Fjords, Royal Visit, L.L.A.M.A., Everdell: Newleaf, Mistwood, and The Complete Collection, and Venice.

Episode 42: Keep or Cull

In Episode 41 of Cards and Cubes, our games played include Sierra West, Merv: The Heart of the Silk Road, Curious Cargo, and a few solo gaming experiences. Our topic of discussion this week is "What We Look For in a Game Store." Games on the horizon include Castles of Mad King Ludwig: Collector's Edition, Clinic: Deluxe Edition – 2nd, 3rd Extension, Steampunk Rally Fusion, and Whistle Mountain.

Epidode 41: What We Look For in a Game Store

In Episode 40 of Cards and Cubes, we talk about games we've recently played including Carnegie, Glasgow, and Treasure Hunter. Then we have a discussion about board game streamlining prompted by Pingyao: First Chinese Banks, mentioning a variety of Vital Lacerda games, CGE games, and others.  Highlights include simplicity vs streamlining, thematic integration, flow, smaller versions of larger games, and some examples of arguably insufficient rulebooks. Games on the horizon for us this week include Stroganov, Paladins of the West Kingdom: City of Crowns, Terraforming Mars: Ares Expedition, and Funfair.

Episode 40: Board Game Streamlining

In Episode 39 of Cards and Cubes, we talk about some recent experiences in the board game online world, and then go into some games we've played like Village Green, My Village, Targi, 7 Wonders Duel: Agora, and Fast Sloths. Then, we have an extensive discussion about the evolution of deck building in board games - from first experiences like Dominion, Magic: The Gathering, Pokemon, through developments involving games like Tyrants of the Underdark, Clank!: A Deck-Building Adventure, Harry Potter: Hogwarts Battle, Arctic Scavengers, Great Western Trail, Blackout: Hong Kong, Mombasa, Super Motherload, Famiglia, Grifters, Viscounts of the West Kingdom, Concordia, Transatlantic, Gloomhaven, Bloodborne: The Card Game, Cry Havoc, Shards of Infinity, Rune Stones, and The Taverns of Tiefenthal.  We finish the discussion with kind of a back-and-forth discussion between Lost Ruins of Arnak and Dune: Imperium. Our ending discussion of games on the horizon includes Radlands, Carnegie, Root: "Militants" Expansion, and Oath: Chronicles of Empire and Exile.

Episode 39: The Evolution of Deck Building in Board Games

We are Brandon, Matt, Hristo, and Justine. We are four friends who like to talk about and play board games.

hubhopper

Cards and Cubes

hubhopper